RIP Gareth Williams, found dead in a London flat

backslashbaby · Aug 26, 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/26/gareth-williams-mi6-officer-parents

Gareth Williams's body was discovered in a holdall in the bath of a flat in Pimlico on Monday. Police believe he may have been dead for two weeks.
Williams, a cycling and fitness fanatic who worked at GCHQ, the eavesdropping and security centre, was days from completing a year-long secondment at MI6.
Tests are still being carried out to determine the cause of death. Initial reports that he was stabbed have been proved false. Further tests could determine whether Williams was asphyxiated, and whether drugs or alcohol were present in his system. The toxicology tests are expected to take weeks.

RIP, Gareth.

Is anyone familiar with what a 'secondment' is?

The article mentions no sign of forced entry, but am I crazy for thinking that that doesn't rule out professional foul play?

blacbird · Aug 26, 2010

backslashbaby said:
Is anyone familiar with what a 'secondment' is?

Yes. The more pertinent question is: Is anyone familiar with who Gareth Williams is?

And why we should care about this story?

I know a number of cycling fanatics, not one of whose demise would generate international public interest.

dpaterso · Aug 26, 2010

backslashbaby said:
Is anyone familiar with what a 'secondment' is?

Just means he was loaned out, and would return to his old job at the end of the specified period.

-Derek

backslashbaby · Aug 26, 2010

I believe it's the MI6 bit more than the cycling that has this in the headlines.

If it doesn't interest you, you are free to skip the thread, of course.

eta: ah! Thanks, Derek

firedrake · Aug 27, 2010

I should think MI6 management are crapping themselves right now.

NoGuessing · Aug 27, 2010

MI6 and "found dead" generally mean we can put on our cynical hats and suspect he was offed by somebody.

backslashbaby · Aug 27, 2010

Yeah. See, I'm wondering whether it makes any sense to think he was left in a duffle bag in his bathtub in the course of his private life. I suppose it's possible, but that seems way more convoluted.

He took work home with him. That doesn't sound good, at all.

"Spy" might be a bit much; I can't tell. I know someone we call a spy, but everyone knows s/he's not a spy, really. Just a sensitive position. Still, sensitive enough that ending up dead with who-knows-what missing would be very, very bad.

darkprincealain · Aug 27, 2010

Same here, a friend of a coworker has a fairly sensitive position and I'd hate to hear something like this happened to him. MI6 will want to look at this carefully.

Diana Hignutt · Aug 27, 2010

Who's Gareth Williams? Sorry to hear he's dead though, but where should I (or we) know him from?

Maxinquaye · Aug 27, 2010

I'm afraid it's not so much about who he is but rather what he is.

MI6 (or rather SIS as it's actually called) is Britain's foreign intelligence service. So, this would be equivalent of finding a CIA officer dead. Cue speculation about who offed him.

Diana Hignutt · Aug 27, 2010

Maxinquaye said:
I'm afraid it's not so much about who he is but rather what he is.

MI6 (or rather SIS as it's actually called) is Britain's foreign intelligence service. So, this would be equivalent of finding a CIA officer dead. Cue speculation about who offed him.

Gotcha. Thanks. Hmm. A real life spy mystery...very interesting.

Vince524 · Aug 27, 2010

Isn't this the 2nd MI6 person to be found dead recently?

Maxinquaye · Aug 27, 2010

Since James Bond is employed by the MI6 (and not MI5 who handles domestic intelligence matters) I expect Q to get involved now.

Priene · Aug 27, 2010

I liked this unattributed quote:

"The suggestion there is terrorism or national security links is pretty low down the list of probabilities."

A maths genius (first class degree at seventeen) working for GCHQ, on secondment to MI6, gets dumped dead in a holdall in his bathtub. Of course they're not suspecting national security links. Probably just an argument at his local gym that got out of hand.

Maxinquaye · Aug 27, 2010

Priene said:
I liked this unattributed quote:

A maths genius (first class degree at seventeen) working for GCHQ, on secondment to MI6, gets dumped dead in a holdall in his bathtub. Of course they're not suspecting national security links. Probably just an argument at his local gym that got out of hand.

Actually, they appear to be looking for a gay lover now.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/08/2...tish-spy-may-have-died-at-hands-of-gay-lover/

I mean, it's natural. Math prodigy works for the MI6. Teh gays did it, according to The Sun.

darkprincealain · Aug 27, 2010

I always have a tendency to blame it on the maths, myself.

backslashbaby · Aug 27, 2010

Maxinquaye said:
Actually, they appear to be looking for a gay lover now.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/08/2...tish-spy-may-have-died-at-hands-of-gay-lover/

I mean, it's natural. Math prodigy works for the MI6. Teh gays did it, according to The Sun.

Of course it's teh gays

Yesterday it was those dirty callgirls, but that must have sounded too Mata Hari.

RIP Gareth Williams, found dead in a London flat

backslashbaby

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blacbird

dpaterso

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firedrake

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NoGuessing

Buzz

backslashbaby

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darkprincealain

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired

Maxinquaye

That cheeky buggerer

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Maxinquaye

That cheeky buggerer

Priene

Out to lunch

Maxinquaye

That cheeky buggerer

darkprincealain

backslashbaby

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RIP Gareth Williams, found dead in a London flat

~~~~*~~~~

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

~~~~*~~~~

practical experience, FTW

Buzz

~~~~*~~~~

Very Tired

That cheeky buggerer

Very Tired

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

That cheeky buggerer

Out to lunch

That cheeky buggerer

~~~~*~~~~

*

*

*

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